Alabama

The Alabama Conservation Department's top enforcement officer said Tuesday that two deer people were treating as pets on Dauphin Island were removed last week for public safety reasons. While admitting she brought the deer to the island, Staci Curtiss said she's upset at the procedure conservation enforcement officers used to remove the deer and is dedicated to finding out exactly what happened to them. (Courtesy Staci Curtiss)

DAUPHIN ISLAND, Alabama -- Two deer that Dauphin Island residents were treating like pets were removed from the island and relocated for public safety reasons, the Alabama Conservation Department’s chief enforcement officer said Tuesday.

The deer, named Daisy and Darby by locals, were taken from the wild, raised in captivity and released on Dauphin Island, all of which are illegal activities in Alabama, Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Law Enforcement Chief Kevin Dodd said.

Conservation enforcement officers tranquilized the deer Thursday and released them at an undisclosed location after they recovered later that day, Dodd said.

As of Tuesday afternoon, he said the investigation is ongoing with charges possibly to be filed against Staci Curtiss, the woman who raised the deer.

“Charges are pending the outcome of the investigation. Many times we leave it up to the local officer to determine the appropriate response in cases like this,” Dodd said. “The problem is that the majority of the time these people have good intentions, thinking they’re rescuing the deer. Despite those good intentions, they’re really ignorant to the facts that they’re actually doing a disservice to the animal and the general public.”

Tuesday afternoon, Curtiss said she obtained the two female deer from people who found them on separate occasions after the mother had been killed on the highway. The older deer is 1 year, 4 months old and the fawn is 4 months old.

Curtiss said that while the entire episode is unfortunate, she is particularly upset about how conservation enforcement officers removed the deer from the island and the traumatizing impact the action had on an elderly couple who witnessed it.

She also said she did not realize until a while after getting the older doe that it was against Alabama law to keep wildlife.

The deer were allowed to roam free around Curtiss’ Audubon Drive neighborhood.

“The bottom line is I guess I should have just let the deer stay on the side of the road and let the buzzards eat them. But I had a bigger heart than that and I didn’t do it,” she said. “I’ll tell you something, though, if I ran up on them again, I can’t say I wouldn’t take them up again. I learned my lesson that it’s illegal to transport them, but I still wouldn’t let them lay there.”

Curtiss added that her primary concern now is finding out exactly what happened to the deer.

“It’s not that I want to go to jail. I’ve never been to jail. I just can’t let it lie until I know where they are, and the only way to get that answer from anybody seems to be with an attorney,” she said.

Curtiss had created a “Daisy Doe” Facebook page in July. On July 26, she wrote a post asking for help in finding a sister or brother for Daisy. On Aug. 4, Curtiss posted on Daisy’s behalf that a sister had been found. The post includes a picture of a spotted fawn.

Dodd said raising wildlife such as deer in captivity causes the animals to lose their natural flight behavior.

“These type deer frequently are involved in vehicle collisions or fall victim to domestic dogs. More importantly, they often cause serious injuries to humans through antlers or flailing hooves,” Dodd said. “They have this lifelong imprint on humans and can never be returned to the wild. The great majority of the time, euthanasia is the only viable option as a rule.”

Officials at the District V office became aware of the deer after a Dauphin Island police officer approached Maj. Scott Bannon, chief of the state’s Marine Resources Enforcement Division based on the island, and asked what they should do about complaints they were receiving about the deer.

Bannon called wildlife officials in Montgomery to pass on the information he had. Over the next couple of weeks, District V enforcement officers also received additional complaints from island residents that the deer were becoming nuisances.

After consulting with wildlife section biologists in Montgomery, Dodd said the decision was made to remove the deer.

Dodd said even though the Dauphin Island deer were free-roaming, the fact that they entered homes and were fed and petted by children raised serious safety issues.

“Wild animals can be unpredictable and the presence of human-habituated deer freely roaming a resort island poses a hazard to unsuspecting visitors. As a public agency, our obligation lies with the health and safety of all citizens, and therefore the decision was made to remove these animals from the island,” he said.

A Marshall County man was recently attacked by one of the seven pet deer he was holding illegally in captivity. In addition to numerous puncture wounds and extensive bruises, Julius Dunsmore suffered a loss of vision in one eye. He now regrets trying to make the deer pets.

“I never knew how dangerous they could be,” he said.

All seven deer Dunsmore held in captivity were euthanized.

Dauphin Island Mayor Jeff Collier said he sympathized with both sides, but “rules are rules and things have to be done. I understand that.”

“I talked to the state guys and told them I know they have a job to do and that we would not be a hindrance to them in performing that duty,” Collier added. “While it’s unfortunate, I understand why it had to be done for the safety of humans primarily and the animals, as well. It’s tough to handle for the people most closely associated with the deer, but ultimately, it’s what had to be done.”